35 Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
In this text things are spinning wildly out of control and Jesus does not appear to be ahead of the curve. He is sleeping while the storm rages on! I hear God preparing me for this to-be-expected experience. Times are coming when my circumstances will feel like they are avalanching and God seems out-of-pocket.
So here is what I am going to do when I feel panic welling up within me in spiraling moments. I will stop and say these words: “Jesus, Storm-Tamer, rockin’ in the boat with me.” And I am going to repeat that rhythmic line again, under my breath, again and again, until my truth-telling mind gets a hold of my wind-wild feelings!
Jeff Reed, Pastor
Hillside Covenant Church – Walnut Creek
Thanks, Jeff. It oughta be a song. Wait a minute! You just made it one. I’m going to sing it too.
I love this passage, i will trust in you lord even when the storm that is sometimes my life passes over. i trust in you lord ,i trust in you lord i trust in you lord. that is my “song”
wow…I loved this phrase…God seems out of pocket. As a child, I kept my little treasures in my pocket so the idea of God in my pocket really delights me. I also remember as a child that when my treasure fell out of my pocket, I felt it was lost forever but the wonderful thing here is that God will never fall out of my pocket. I am going to put something special in my pocket today to remind me that God is always in my pocket as a special treasure in my life.
Love it
This verse tells me that like the disciples, sometimes I too am convinced
that I’m going down. (emotionally, financially, situation based) however
I must have faith that God will provide and there is no point in fretting.
I must be like Jesus and stay calm during the storm knowing that’ he’s
got it taken care of. Amen for that!!!
I love it Ara. There is no point in fretting. So true.
I hear a call to break through to the other side (and no, I don’t mean that song by the Doors–I mean to face the challenges/walls I normally would avoid), and when the storm comes all I have to do is say, ‘Jesus, calm my storm’. And He does.
Good stuff! Thanks Jeff.
From the passage I’m hearing Papa suggesting a tune: “Sometimes a storm, sometimes a squall, keep trustin’ Jesus through it all”. And since Jesus Himself told us “each day has enough trouble of its own,” I know I’ll have opportunity to trust Him in something hard even today. Sometimes He calms the storm. Sometimes He takes me through it with inner peace. Always, He is with me. As John Fischer sings, “So, I’ll just trust Him, like I’ve done a thousand times before. He’s been faithful in the past. He’ll be faithful once more.”
My do? Trust God. Always.
I am reminded again not to waste my energy stressing about, or trying to control, life. I can sit back and relax some. God is in control. Today when I stress I will chant in my head “You Rock, You Rock, You Rock.”
I think a lot of times, my reaction to my miniature disasters is to say, “Jesus, do something!” when I should be following his example by doing what He’s already told me.
I’m going to remind myself of my identity in Him, so that when a “storm” comes up I can come at it from a sense of peace and obedience.
Aye, iLent Allstar!
I hear these words loud and clear. So often I am like the disciples and see the storm, fear the storm, and therefore try to take control of how to handle the storm.
My do, simply invite Jesus into the moment. Invite Jesus into the moment. Over and over until I can be see the storm clearly and not be overwhelmed.
How quickly the furious squalls of my life come and they can make me feel like I’m going to drown. At first I was taken back by the disciples question to Jesus, “Don’t You care if we drown?” Why didn’t they just ask Him to help? But after thinking about it – my response is often similar – mine is to get to work and fix whatever is in danger – start bailing the water out the boat! This response doesn’t rely on the Lord either.
My do is to not jump in to fix so quickly…yes my husband is laughing right about now… I will wait on the Lord.
I hear, “Stick with Jesus, and He will calm the storm.” My do, go back to that thought each time throughout the day when I feel overtaken by stress.
So funny, This morning before I read ilent today I heard ” Your Father is the king of the universe, do not worry”. It was so refreshing to hear. Some anxiety triggering stuff popped back up this week, causing threat to my living situation. My gut reaction was to panic & emotionally withdrawl. I felt tested & defeated but, knowing in my heart that things are different now & I do not need to react like that anymore. I have been doing my “daily office” this past 2 days & am grateful b/c what I am hearing from God is ” relax and carry on, I have this in the palm of my hand & my grace is upon you”. Ahhh, I know that the “storms of life” will come but, if I have my hope in Jesus, I too can take a nap while my Father takes care of the Universe. What a beautiful idea, don’t mind if I do!! I am off to take a nap!!
What spoke to me loudly was “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”
It seems to me that if we had any real idea of the power and authority in us…His “will on earth as it is in heaven” would be much more of a reality.
Not sure exactly what my DO will be today…but I will ask the Father to reveal something to me and let you know, maybe.
Ok, so wow! One of my students just came up to me and announced: “Oh, I forgot to tell you, my wart fell off– Look!” and she showed me where the plantar’s wart on her foot had been that we had been praying about, and it was, indeed, gone. She was soooo excited that God had answered this prayer, and I praised Him that He had said to that “storm” “Peace be still” and it had obeyed.
Some background for you: She had had it for weeks and had been experiencing a lot of pain. Drs. said that it would have to “be removed”–they had already tried freezing it off. After we had prayed initially, she had reported that all the pain had left and she hadn’t been in any pain since–for a couple of weeks, so we had prayed again (a few weeks ago), and then this 🙂
Today I will face my storms with a bit more confidence in His power and my authority as His child.
“Jesus, Storm-Tamer, rockin’ in the boat with me.” I like it good-solid practical adivice for my next storm! I may not use this exact phrase – but something like it. Thanks Jeff!
This reminds me of so many times in my life when Jesus will wait until what I think is the last possible minute ,and then He will act and give me what I need. Corrie Ten Boom told a story of when she was going to take a train somewhere for the first time ,and she wanted her father to give her the ticket ahead of time. He would not, but gave it to her just as she was ready to get on the train so she wouldn’t have a chance to lose it. She turned this into a life lesson of how God works, giving us things just in the nick of time. I have a bad memory but I always remember this story because it IS how God works….perhaps he uses it as a way to expand our faith.Remembering the story and the one in Mark help me in times of stress when I am waiting for an answer from the Lord.
As a professional sermon maker of 3 decades some texts are hard to limit what you hear or will do to 150 words. So, my need to post will come in the proverbial three parts. Our brother Jeff Reed already provided a nice poem! While they are my reflection and interaction with God you are invited along to see what God might prod in your spirit. My posts will be three – read all or don’t, feel free to drop off when God prods your spirit to reflect on your own.
1) “they took him along, just as he was.” Jesus, “just as He was.” There is something, “Just as I am” in Jesus too. I hear, God can us me too, even out of dead sleep to show His love and power. That is “just as I am,” without prep or hype storms can be faced because the covenant (relationship) with the Father is where love and power flow from. I will rest in the relationship to day knowing I am able for the storm and those who follow me because the covenant is good!
2) “they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.” I hear too often like the 12, my focus is on my boat, there are other boats with Him. I don’t know if I ever noticed “the other boats with him,” before. [BTW this where pride has us say things like, “Yes, I knew that. Um uh, it just refreshed my memory.” Why do we have to be that way? When was the last sermon you hear about “the other boats?” Its a dead give away. 🙂 ] The fact the other boats are barely a memory for me in this text betrays my “small world focus.” It’s all about what is happening in my boat. What Jesus does in the lead boat [assuming], the boat with the 12, benefits all the boats at sea, not just the one.
My do is today to see the larger view, outside my boat and convey Jesus’ love, because of what Jesus has done in my boat.
3) The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” The perspective from the other boats in the storm must have been, “I wish I was in that boat with Jesus and those wonderful disciples!” Don’t you know they other boats, thought the disciple’s boat was the epicenter of faith and Jesus’ love! Little do they know Jesus is asleep (at rest in the Father’s love – assumed). And the disciples, they are in a tizzy surely having tried to navigate the storm themselves and failing turn suddenly calling into question Jesus’ own love for them! “Don’t you care!” My circumstances, problems and predicaments are not a sign of Jesus’ failing love. While my life stuff is not constant, Jesus’ love is constant.
So I hear, “Which boat am I in today?” “Why does Jesus have me in this boat today?” “What am I to learn from my time in this boat today?”
I sense as a bit of a do, a message to process. Sometimes it’s not God’s purpose for me to know everything that is going on in someone else’s boat. It’s a reminder that I don’t always know even when I think I do. But it’s always good to know Jesus always cares no matter what boat I am in, no matter the storm.
There are times in challenges when I feel alone, that God has abandoned me. I believe these are opportunities given us to test our faith. Easy to be a believer when you are filled with the Spirit. How does my faith hold up when Christ feels “asleep”. Today, I will strive to remember that Jesus is “still in the boat” during those times He seems so far. I will remain faithful.
I to often ask “Jesus where are you” when times get tough, as Jeff says I need to remember “He is already in the boat”. Today I will not take my eyes off Jesus
It’s kewl that He can do that. I mean, it shows His power….